Chelsea tackle Brighton of their first Premier League recreation of the 2020/21 season.
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LONDON — The English Premier League introduced Thursday that it has signed a one-year broadcast take care of China’s Tencent Sports activities after a earlier take care of a Chinese language streaming service collapsed because of the pandemic.
“From Saturday 19 September, supporters in China will have the ability to watch all 372 remaining Premier League matches dwell,” the Premier League said in a statement on its web site after the Financial Times broke the story.
Half of the soccer matches will probably be free to observe on Tencent Sports activities whereas the opposite half will solely be accessible to these with a Tencent Sports activities membership.
The Premier League stated supporters may even have the ability to get updates and information about golf equipment and gamers by way of Tencent’s digital platforms, together with WeChat, QQ.com, Tencent Video, Penguin Reside App, Tencent Information App, Tencent Sports activities App and Kan Dian.
The tie-up comes after the Premier League terminated a three-year contract in September with Chinese language streaming service PPTV that was reportedly worth around $650 million.
Across the identical time, the Premier League was placed on maintain as a result of coronavirus pandemic.
The worth of the take care of Tencent has not been disclosed however the Monetary Instances studies that it’s lower than the take care of PPTV, citing sources accustomed to the matter.
The brand new season commenced on Saturday.
Premier League Chief Government Richard Masters stated in a press release: “We’re excited to have agreed this partnership with Tencent making certain our supporters in China can take pleasure in following Premier League motion all through this season.”
“We and our golf equipment have a particularly passionate fanbase in China and are wanting ahead to working with the staff at Tencent to interact with followers in new methods over the approaching season,” he added.
Tencent Sports activities Common Supervisor Ewell Zhao stated the Premier League has many followers in China.
“In collaboration with the Premier League, Tencent Sports activities hopes to leverage its platforms and know-how to deliver the drama of Premier League matches to followers and share with them the eagerness and pleasure of soccer,” stated Zhao.
